


Bonded Souls

by lighthousesoffalsechoices



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-07 14:38:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18875209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lighthousesoffalsechoices/pseuds/lighthousesoffalsechoices
Summary: Set five years after the movie The Dark Side of Dimensions.Seto Kaiba never came back from his trip to beat Atem, leaving Mokuba in charge of Kaiba Corporation and of an empty heart. But what will happen when a strange object from the past comes back? Will Mokuba be able to forgive his brother? Is Seto Kaiba still alive?





	1. Left Behind

It has been around five years since the last time he had seen his older brother. The first year, he kept on hoping, but not long after his hope stumbled down and he decided it would be time for him to move on and accept the fact that, in the end, he wasn’t the most important thing for his brother. 

He had been so naive back then. 

But now he was eighteen years old and for five years now he has been Kaiba Corporation’s CEO, considering the disappearance of the former one and only, Seto Kaiba. 

It had certainly been hard at first, between all the new responsibility and the suffering from his loss he had been tricked many times and had had to fight back with tooth and nails not to lose what his brother had managed to build for them both. Their empire was something to keep him sane, something to keep the memories of his brother alive, even if he wasn’t sure himself if Seto was still in the living world. 

His friends had tried to help him through the years, they would still show up now and then, at least the ones that still were in Domino, to try and keep him company and remind him of the fun side of life. But he had no time for that, and he honestly didn’t feel the need for any of it anymore. He just wanted to live on automatic. Keep the company, since it’s all he has left in this entire world, and someday die and be done with it all. 

Isono remained his loyal right hand through it all. He has heard him cry and scream, curse at the wind and at Seto. He has helped him run the company at least until Mokuba could do it on his own. He guessed he had the man as well as the empire, but he had long decided that trusting other humans only brought pain. 

He never went back to that last place he saw Seto and he discarded everything that was there. He didn’t want to see it all again. And he honestly didn’t want to try and follow his brother. Seto was supposed to be with him forever, to never leave him and instead he chose some dead pharaoh. He decided he would hold his head high and keep on breathing without his brother, because his brother had long ago decided he didn’t want him around. 

“I don’t care about any of this!” Mokuba yelled one morning in the middle of a meeting. Even if he had become a lot like his brother throughout the days, he still was rather impulsive and couldn’t keep his cool down “I asked you one single thing and yet you are unable to answer!”  
“We want to get to the bottom of this just like you do, Kaiba-sama.” One woman said “But your question, if you excuse me, has nothing to do with the issue at hand.”

“The issue at hand is that three orphans were kindly shown out of Kaiba Land and when I asked my employees they said it had been under your orders. So I want to know exactly why you issued that order when Kaiba Land was specifically made for unprivileged children!”

“They don’t pay an entry feed!”

“Unprivileged children. They won’t ever pay for a feed! This park was made for them!”

“We are losing profit, Kaiba-sama.”

Mokuba frowned at that “What profit could you be losing when the entry feed for those children come right out of my pocket?”

Suddenly, his secretary slowly and rather nervously opened the door “K-Kaiba-sama?” Mokuba looked up and sighed.

“I’m in a meeting.”

“I know, sir, but Yugi Motou is here to see you...I assumed, since he’s your business partner that you would like to see him, sir.” 

Mokuba sighed deeply and stood up “We will resume this meeting tomorrow and don’t think I will not ask about that money again.” He said before leaving, not turning to look back at the displeased faces throwing murdering, yet well known, glances at his back. 

Yugi had not changed much. He’s grown smarter, in Mokuba’s eyes, but he was still just as kind hearted as always. Him and Mokuba were working on a new project for a game Yugi had been developing. So far it was going well. 

Seto wouldn’t like this new partnership, but it was all for the company, Mokuba didn’t care much for games anymore, he hadn’t touched one ever since that day and he had promised himself not to believe in them again. But they made money, and that’s what interested him the most.  
“Mokuba-kun.” Yugi smiled as he stood up from his seat in his office.

“Are you here for work?” Mokuba asked as he sat down and turned on his computer to start working. Yugi shook his head.

“No actually I uh...I wanted to see how you were doing.” He said softly and Mokuba had to keep himself from rolling his eyes and acting, yet again, like a perfect copy of his brother. Yugi noticed this so he continued talking “I thought maybe you could use some distraction from all this.” He added. 

“I don’t need any distractions, Yugi.” 

“Mokuba-kun, listen I know you don’t like it but I think someday you gotta talk about your-”

“No.” Mokuba didn’t lost focus in what he was doing in his computer as he spoke, but his typing suddenly grew more forceful “There’s nothing to talk about, Yugi. I don’t know why you’re suddenly here. It’s been five years, or have you forgotten? Unlike you, I decided to move on.”

Yugi looked down for a moment before staring back at the younger boy “I’m sure you decided to move on.” He said “But I don’t think you’re so sure of your own decision, Mokuba-kun. I still have hope, you know?”

Mokuba snorted at that “Hope? Hope for what? That he will suddenly appear one day and be back here? That things will go on as if nothing happened?” He looked at Yugi for a moment before going back to his documents “Even if that happened, this company is not his anymore just as much as I’m not his brother.”

Yugi gulped “Mokuba-kun…”

“Leave, Yugi. Our meeting is next week, I don’t know what you’re doing here.”

Yugi sighed deeply before turning to the door, he looked at who he still considered a dear friend “You know, Mokuba-kun I know what is like to lose someone important. I know how painful it is and how lonely it can get but...I know Kaiba-kun, I know he wouldn’t just leave you like that. I’m sure...No, I know he will come back to you...There’s no other way. He wouldn’t do something like this without a reason behind it. For all the ruthlessness he had in his heart, there always remained something pure in there and that was the part that was kept for you.” He said before turning around and leaving the office, slowly closing the door behind him. 

Mokuba didn’t look up and instead he just looked down at his hands. They were shaking, exactly how they did whenever this matter was brought up. He put them against his chest, where hsi locker still was, and pressed his forehead against the screen of his computer. 

Hope? What could Yugi know of hope? 

He didn’t understand how Mokuba felt or how he had felt ever since the day of his family’s downfall had started. He didn’t know of the burden he felt at knowing that his mother had died giving birth to him or that his father had died not long after, his brother had to take responsibility of a little brother back when he was still a child himself. 

Now looking back, Mokuba could understand why his brother left him behind. He must have grown tired of having to look after a whiny and clingy child. He must have wanted to do something childish, follow an impulse and just leave everything in the past, act his age for once. 

If he thought he understood then why did this still hurt so much? How come he still felt as if there was a knife stabbing his heart every time he thought of his brother? 

Maybe he had taken too literal back when Seto had promised to be a father to him, maybe he had laid too much on the teenager, maybe he should have been able to see that his brother wasn’t a father and that he was a child just like him, who had lost everything just like he had.

Then came Gozaburo Kaiba and those were years Mokuba just wanted to bury deep at the back of his mind and not have to acknowledge it. Because if he thought of it, he would only feel pity for the person he had been trying to hate for five years. 

\------

When Yugi went back to the game shop, he was surprised to open the door and see Jounouchi standing in there talking with Ishizu. The shorter boy blinked at the scene before smiling brightly “Ishizu!” He walked up to them, Jounouchi smirked and wrapped an arm around Yugi’s shoulders.

“Where were you, Yug? You can’t keep a lady waiting like that!” 

Ishizu smiled and shook her head “I’m sorry to bother you after so long, specially after everything that’s happened.” She said and then frowned “But a new piece has appeared.”

Both Yugi’s and Jounouchi’s smiles fell and were replaced by serious expressions.

“A new piece? But I thought that all the millenium items were gone for good with the pharaoh.” Jounouchi blinked and Yugi nodded at his friend’s words. Ishizu nodded as well.

“And they are, this new piece that has appeared has no powers and is not part of that collection, but it is an important piece that had been missing all this time. It has to do with Seto Kaiba and his brother.”

Yugi’s eyes turned sad “Kaiba-kun is not here, he…”

“I know.” She nodded “He went to see the pharaoh...He was capable of such a thing as time travel. Somehow it doesn’t surprise me.” She said “But if he’s there he may already know about this. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this item appeared now out of all times. I have tried to speak to Mokuba-kun but I wasn’t allowed inside so I decided to come here.”

Jounouchi huffed “That kid is becoming more and more like that rich bastard.”

Yugi looked back at her “Can we see the item, please? And how is it connected to Kaiba-kun?”

She pulled out a small box from underneath her robe and after opening it up, it showed a bracelet “This belonged to Mokuba-kun and was given to him by Priest Seth.” She said. Yugi and Jounouchi stared in awe at the piece of fine jewelry. It was golden and had a single blue gem in the middle. She closed the box before they could say anything else “But I need Mokuba-kun to see it and to remember his own past. It is time now that he’s older and that this has appeared.”

Yugi frowned some “Kaiba-kun sent it…”

She nodded and Joey blinked in confusion “He wants Mokuba-kun to see it, I’m sure. He is sending some sort of signal, but we need him.”

Yugi nodded “I will go get Mokuba-kun here...I have to make him listen.” Jounouchi nodded at that.

“I’ll go with you.” He then smiled at her “We’ll get him here!” Jounouchi assured before leaving with Yugi. Ishizu sighed and looked down at the box.

“Hold on, priest...Your message has reached…”  
\-------

Yugi definitely knew about loss. And he didn't mean only his other self. Anzu hadn't come back yet from the U.S.A. Her visits stopped being so frequent and her calls just ended one day, he had tried contacted her but she was always busy with new presentations. He was certainly happy at how well she was doing over there, but he had to admit that he missed her over here. 

His grandfather had passed away a year ago leaving him with the responsibility of the game shop. He was certainly glad that Jounouchi, Honda and Bakura were still around and had never forgotten about him. They were always around helping him out and keeping him company. They stuck together and they even worked together sometimes. 

He just wished things wouldn't have changed so much, and it all had happened after Kaiba had decided to leave. When Mokuba had called him that night, crying, saying that his brother hadn't returned after months of being somewhere he didn't know how to reach, Yugi felt his heart drop to the ground but he collected himself for his dear friend that needed support. 

Things kept on changing from there, and Mokuba never went back to being the same. At first he was depressed, always sad and no matter what he did, he couldn't get him to smile joyfully like he used to. He blamed it all on himself, he should have done more to stop Kaiba, he should have known better than to just say some words to him and think that it would solve everything and settle his heart. He should have been there to stop him, but he hadn't and now everytime he looked at the man Mokuba had become, he punished himself. 

Even though Jounouchi noticed his friend had become quiet with the years, he guessed he couldn't blame him. He wondered if it was the maturity brought by time or if he could just go ahead and childishly blame Seto Kaiba for their downfall. 

How come their lives ended up revolving around him like this?

It had been five years and there they were, travelling across town to reach Kaiba Corporation. And even though Jounouchi despised the place, he definitely held brotherly love for the boy that was the CEO of it. And that, no matter how much he had changed, he was still little Mokuba, and he knew he was a good boy, he wasn't rotten like he though Seto to be, he had faith in Mokuba. 

And it was why he had promised to Kaiba, wherever he was, that he would look after his little brother for him. It was because he couldn't believe Seto's actions, because as an older brother, he understood that Seto wouldn't just up and leave Mokuba like that. 

"You owe me a big one, bastard. And a big ass explanation." He muttered under his breath as he drove the bike. Yugi blinked at his words and tilted his head some, like he used to do when he was younger. But he knew better than to ask when Jounouchi seemed to be in a foul mood. 

\------

Seto Kaiba didn’t know exactly how long it has been since he has arrived to the past. His plan had been rather simple in mind, go back, defeat the pharaoh and go back to where he belonged once he had finally settled his own heart with his new victory. He had made sure to think of everything when he was building the dispositive, he thought of every possible fault and of every possible route of escape. 

But still something failed and he hadn’t been able to go back. 

He hadn’t beat the pharaoh, but when he realized he couldn’t get back, suddenly victory didn’t seem that important when he thought of the possibility of never seeing his brother again. And so he had started analyzing so he could repair it, but he didn’t have the means to do anything where he was. He had no tools other than his hands and no port USB. Atem has tried to help the best he could with the little knowledge he had of technology after spending so long with his friends, but it was nothing compared to the things Kaiba knew. 

With no resources, even the genius Seto Kaiba was completely stuck and useless. He knew how to repair it, but he just couldn’t do it. 

“Are you sure it got there safely?” Atem asked him one day. Seto nodded, he had rid himself of his dispositive. 

“I sent it back with the last remaining of my technology, you saw it disappear. Now I can only have faith in Mokuba.”

Atem nodded “Then I’m sure you’ll be able to go back soon. Ishizu will give it to Mokuba, and he will understand the message.”

Seto didn’t say anything and instead he looked up at the blue sky, only feeling guilt and regret, wondering about his brother, like he had been doing for a long time. 

But after a little bit, he did open his mouth to speak up, but didn’t look at the shorter man standing next to him “Have you always known about Mokuba’s past self?”

Atem nodded “You didn’t want to see or believe. I didn’t want to push it on you, especially since it involved him out of all people. I knew better than to get him in the middle of something so dangerous.”

“I don’t believe in all of this. I don’t want to be here any longer and I don’t want Mokuba to stay stuck in here either. But this is the only thing I have to reach to him. That’s all it is to me. I have made a promise to myself and that was to always look straight ahead into the future.”

“Yet you came here in the first place out of your own volition.”

“Gaining victory meant being able to look back to the future and stop thinking of the past. That was all.”

Atem hummed and then turned around “I am busy today. You should go eat something soon.” He said before leaving Seto alone. 

The blue eyed man was wearing clothes according the time he was at. A white robe adorned his body with golden laces around his waist. He was given some jewelry. He acted like any other person, not wanting to blow his cover and cause a commotion. 

Well, at least Atem didn’t want any trouble and Seto was only focused on his work to get back, so he didn’t mind staying in the shadows, he actually preferred it that way so he could think in peace and not be disturbed. 

He saw a boy running around laughing happily and he had to force himself to look away and leave the place he was standing at. 

He didn’t need to see him, it wasn’t his brother. It wasn’t. And he knew he had to go back to Mokuba, it was clear to him and he had never doubted it. At that time, when he left, he hadn’t been able to promise his brother when he would be back because he simply didn’t want to lie to the younger boy, that wasn’t how their relationship went. Seto never lied to his brother, Mokuba didn’t deserve something so pitiful as a petty lie. He hadn’t raised him to accept them either. 

He sighed deeply as he walked through the streets of the ancient town he was staying at. This was certainly an adventure, but he couldn’t care less about it and his mind was only set on the future as it has always been. 

\-------

Mokuba couldn’t help but laugh some at the words Jounouchi and Yugi were saying to him. He shook his head when he was done and he stood up from his seat to walk up to them. He wasn’t as short as Yugi anymore, but he wasn’t as tall as Seto either, he barely reached Jounouchi’s chin, but he didn’t care a bit about it. 

“You’re telling me that Ishizu is waiting for me because an ancient item has appeared and it’s related to Seto and myself?” He arched an eyebrow “Those matters were yours, not mine. I was never involved in whatever was happening to ancient Egypt.” 

Maybe if he had been, Seto would still be here. Maybe if he had been someone important to his brother in the past he wouldn’t have felt such a strong connection to it to leave him behind and alone. 

“Please, Mokuba-kun, at least come with us.” Yugi almost begged “If you end up not caring, then that’s alright, but at least try this, please...Ishizu thinks this may be some sort of message sent by Kaiba-kun and if that’s true, he’s trying to tell you something.”

“Aren’t you at least a little bit curious?” Jounouchi tried and Mokuba stared at him for a long time before he huffed and finally agreed.


	2. Set in Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like a revelation brought to him in a dream made Mokuba reconsider his actions.

“This has to be a joke.” Mokuba said as he stared at the bracelet that was being presented to him by Ishizu. He moved a lock of his dark hair behind his ear, but since it was now much shorter than what it used to be when he was younger, it went right back in place, falling onto his cheek and finishing by his upper lip “I thought this whole ancient thing was over with. Isn’t that why Atem left?” He wondered “Not even my...Not even he could bring him back just by assembling the puzzle, right?” He looked at her “I may not be like him, I may believe in certain things but I won’t make his mistakes. I’m not going to chase down anything that comes from the past.” He spoke quietly, not as harsh as Seto Kaiba would have, but close enough. 

“I had thought Seto Kaiba to be dead.” Ishizu said “But one day, Malik and I found this in a trip. We couldn’t just ignore it.” She added “Just like I couldn’t keep it from you. It’s part of who you are, like it or not.” 

“Then I don’t care.” Mokuba said “Besides, this could have just appeared out of nowhere. It has nothing to do with him. He’s not coming back, maybe you guys should just accept it.”

Ishizu closed the box and pressed it against his chest “This is still yours. If Seto Kaiba sent a message then I’m sure it was to you.” Mokuba grabbed it and looked down at it “He doesn’t belong where he is.” She said “Where he is, a version of him already is, and there can’t be two Setos in the same space-time. Haven’t you thought of it? Of what may happen to him? We may not know how to reach him, but we at least can have hope that he’s alive, trying to reach back here.”

“Why didn’t he do it sooner then, huh?” Mokuba looked at her, his eyes now showed fear, concern and some anger “Why now? After all these years? Why leave in the first place?”

“Those are questions I hope you are able to ask him directly.” She spoke softly, understandingly

“Mokuba-kun.” Yugi looked up at the younger boy, who didn’t seem to want to look at anyone “The machine your brother designed to go back…”  


“It’s in the exact place he left it.” Mokuba said “With him…What I have left is some sort of station. For a whole year I tried to build one as well, but I never knew how.” He smiled bitterly “I was never as smart as he was.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Jounouchi shook his head “You always were pretty smart for your age, Kaiba’s just a damn genius. Have you tried building it now?”

He shook his head “No, I abandoned that when I realized how stupid it was to follow a man who didn’t want to be followed. Or else, he would have left me some clue on how to do so.”

Yugi hummed “Or maybe...Maybe he wasn’t exactly sure it would work, or if it would even be safe, maybe that’s why he didn’t want you to follow after him, maybe it’s why he only built the one he used and never told you how.” Jounouchi nodded in agreement.

“Yeah! That damn Kaiba always thought of everything!”

“Then if he did, and he saw this coming, how come he accepted it as a possibility and still left?” Mokuba narrowed his eyes and held the box close “What is he even trying to do? Ask for help? Mine? After all of this?”

“He’s still your family, Mokuba-kun.” Yugi spoke softly “If he...When he comes back, then you can talk to him, punch him if you want but...I don’t think you should ignore this.” He tried to smile in spite of everything, like always. 

“Yeah!” Jounouchi smiled brightly as he raised his fist “If you want I can beat him up for ya, kid!”

Mokuba couldn’t help but smile at that. Ishizu did as well.

“Take it with you...Think it through, and touch it whenever you’re ready.” She spoke in a rather serious tone of voice. Mokuba stared at her for a long moment before standing up with the box in his hands. 

“I have to get going.” He said “I have a couple of meetings today.” 

“Take a break once in a while, Mokuba-kun.” Yugi smiled some “Remember that the game shop is always open for you if you may need it to.” Mokuba couldn’t help but grin a bit at that before turning around and leaving without another word.  
Ishizu frowned some when he left and Jounouchi blinked “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” She spoke “I know giving the item to him wasn’t a mistake, I just hope he knows what to do from now on with it. I know Seto Kaiba is alive.” 

Yugi’s eyes widened and Jounouchi bit his bottom lip.

“Then...Kaiba-kun is in danger...We gotta save him!” Ishizu shook her head. 

“Only Mokuba Kaiba has the answer on how to get to him.” She tried to smile some “Just like only you could reach Atem...Seto Kaiba can only be reached by his brother. Their bond...Is not something you see everyday.”

Yugi looked down for a moment as he thought, before finally looking back at her. He opened his mouth a few times, closing it right back each one of them. He only wanted to be able to help his friends, he didn’t think Mokuba deserved all the loneliness and solitude his brother left him with. He knew he had a kind heart and he couldn’t let himself forget about that childish laughter that seemed to be long forgotten by the boy himself. 

The happy voice, the shining eyes and the baby like soft cheeks...How could he let go of precious memories like that? None of this was supposed to happen, Kaiba and Mokuba were supposed to be together forever, no matter what. Seto was never supposed to abandon his little brother. 

How did this happen?

“Ishizu-san...You mentioned before that Kaiba-kun gave this to Mokuba-kun in their past lives...Could you tell us more about it?” Jounouchi turned to look at her and nodded.

“Yeah, maybe it can help Mokuba to know!”

Ishizu sighed deeply “You see...Back when Seto Kaiba was Priest Seth...And he had a lover named Kisara…”

\-------

“This is so stupid.” Mokuba muttered that night in his lonely room inside his lonely mansion “This is all so stupid.” He started removing his buttoned up shirt. He eyed the box on his bed as he did it “Fucking stupid…” He sat down next to it and dropped his arms at his sides, his eyes never leaving the golden object just waiting to be opened up. He huffed and then laid down on the bed. He kicked the box off of it, not caring about the bracelet that came flying out of it “Stupid, stupid…” He kept on muttering as he hugged a pillow close to his chest. His eyes started burning but he closed them tightly so he wouldn’t shed a single tear. 

A big part of him was nagging him to just give it up, to just let himself break down, to run back to the station, to the last place he had seen his brother and to start working on the machine all over again. If one had been built, then another one could follow. Why not just follow Seto and disappear with him? Why not just remain by his side even if he could never come back?

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked at the open window and into the lights of the city. Once this same place brought him joy and a sense of home, now it meant nothing to him. Because home was not the country, the city or the mansion, it was the man that had stood by his side even when he felt like stumbling down and giving up to the pain of his childhood. He knew Seto always remained on his feet, in part, for him. 

It was why he couldn’t comprehend his actions. It was as if he had grown completely obsessed with victory. He had always been, but before Atem left, it had never drove him mad like it had seemed to do lately. He had lost focus on what was right next to him and he had closed himself to the whole world with only one goal in mind. And that goal didn’t involve anyone, not even Mokuba. 

And even knowing this...All of this, was it so bad for Mokuba to still want to chase after his brother? To be able to see him once more? To hug him and cry in his arms like he used to back when they were younger? Was it so wrong for him to wish for all of these things?

In his mind it was, because he felt far too betrayed to ever agree with himself that he needed his brother, even to this day. 

“It is okay to feel hurt.” A voice said from behind him making Mokuba open his eyes. There was only sand ahead of him and it was right where he was laying on. His head snapped back and he noticed a tall man with sun toasted skin, gold bracelets, rings and pendants were hanging around his body. His head was mostly covered but he could see brown hair and blue eyes. The boy’s eyes widened and he quickly stood up “You should know that.” The man kept on talking even if Mokuba was unresponsive “The real question is...What will you do with that pain, boy?”

“What? Who...Seto?” His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest at any moment “Seto? You...No...You look different…”

“You may know me as Seto Kaiba, and in a way I am, but at the same time I am not. I am Seth.” He spoke patiently. Mokuba looked around again and could notice some pyramids in the distance. 

“Ancient Egypt…” Seth nodded.

“I did not mean to intrude in your dreams like this, but I could not help myself. I have been watching you suffering for far too long.”

“Watching? How?” Mokuba asked, almost teasingly “The you from the future is not with me anymore.”

“He is in here, but he is not at the same time.” Seth explained and Mokuba blinked in confusion.

“How?”

“He is in ancient Egypt, at a time when I was alive. We are at a dimension when I was not.” He spoke and then pointed behind Mokuba with his golden scepter. The boy followed the direction it was pointed at and he was surprised to now find people walking around “They cannot see us, you and I come from other dimensions, we do not belong here either.”

Mokuba looked back at him “I don’t get it…”

“You do not need to. I did not bring you here to talk about where we are now. I brought you here to talk.”

“About what?” He asked “If you brought me here...Then why won’t you take me to Seto?”

“I cannot.” He said “It was dangerous enough for him to travel to that specific moment, I will not put you in any danger, little one.” Mokuba made a face at that.

“I’m eighteen.” He said, almost childishly and the priest had to smirked.

“And how much older do you think I am compared to you?” He arched an eyebrow and Mokuba looked away “You should not reject the chance you were given by being handed the bracelet.” He then said and the younger one frowned a bit but didn’t look at him.

“Then you should go give a talk to him not me.” He spitted out “He was the one to leave, not me. I never...I never thought of doing such a thing to him.”

“I am not here to congratulate him for his choices. I do not agree with them, not with the ones that have made you suffer, child. I am here for you.” He said “That bracelet is your and will be always, for I have given it to you as a gift. It is only yours, even if you do not want it.” He added.

“Why did you give it to me?” Mokuba asked.

“As a proof of our bond.” Seth couldn’t help but smile a tiny bit for only a small moment “To find your soul in time and so you could find mine, no matter what. From then on, our souls have been tied together, and they still are. It is why I am able to visit you.”

Mokuba looked down “I never knew I also was in here in my past life...I thought that only involved him, Yugi and the rest. Not me.” He shook his head before looking up “Who was I then? What was I to you?”

Seth looked straight into the boy’s eyes as he spoke “You were dear to me, far too dear. Dearest than my love.” Mokuba blinked “I will tell you a story, the story of how we first met and how that meeting tied us together.”

\------

“You shouldn’t lose hope.” Atem told Seto as they were sitting in his room.

“Who said I had it in the first place?” The man wondered with hard eyes “It’s not hope, it’s faith in Mokuba. That’s all I ever needed.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to help you.” He said “I think what you did was a good idea…”

“I wish I was able to see how he is.” Seto suddenly confessed before Atem could continue talking “See if he has been looking after himself, see if he...If he became a monster like me.” He folded his arms across his chest and one leg over the other.

“He has my partner, and all of our friends with him. I’m sure they didn’t let him go down a sorrowful path, Kaiba. But even then, I know Mokuba has a pure heart. He won’t just surrender to the darkness.” He tried to comfort the other.

“Mokuba was always better than me, in many ways.” He responded “He was always able to keep a straighter head.” He looked away “I know he is okay, but I also know that he is not happy with me.”

“He would never hate you-”

“Maybe.” Seto interrupted “But you don’t need hatred to despise and be disappointed. I don’t know which one is worse.”

“I will do everything that is in my power to help you.” Atem repeated with his everlasting frown “I will help you reunite with your brother, Kaiba.”

“I am working on it.” Seto said “But there’s not much more neither of us can do now. I have no means to get back, everything I could use is with him. It is up to him now if he wants me to return.” Seto stood up “I should get going, soon it will be the time the priest comes around.”

Atem stood up as well and nodded “I have never met anyone as loyal as Mokuba...His feelings are pure. He will not abandon you.”

Seto smirked bitterly at that “Exactly...Because he is nothing like me.” He then turned around and left the room rather quickly but never losing the gracious way he took each and every step. 

\--------

Mokuba woke up with a long gasp. He quickly looked around before sitting up on the bed. He looked at the bracelet lying on the fine carpet, exactly how he had left it the night before. He put a hand against his forehead as he tried to compose his breathing.

“Seto…” He whispered that name as the morning sun lightly shone on his face. He now talked with softness, one he had thought he had lost all those years ago. He cursed at himself and then slowly got up from the bed. He knelt down to pick up the bracelet, he stared at it for a long moment before finally standing up again. He quickly got changed into clean clothes and then walked downstairs. 

Isono looked up from where he was talking to one of the maids “Kaiba-sama.”

“Just Mokuba, Isono.” The boy smiled a bit, and it reminded the man of the past for a moment “I want some breakfast and lunch packed for me and I want you to meet me in the car in fifteen minutes.” He said “I need you to drive me somewhere.” The man slowly nodded.

“I am assuming we are not going to Kaiba Corporation then?”

“No, we are going to the station, we are going to the last place Seto was at.” He said and without waiting for an answer he left with the bracelet in his wrist underneath his coat sleeve. Isono couldn’t help his surprise but he was quick to overcome the shock and to tell the cook to prepare some food. 

He had the feeling the would be staying in that place for a long time. 

And he had been right.

When they arrived, Mokuba coughed a bit as the lights were turned on. He looked around and frowned “I can’t believe I just let this place to rot.” He said “Have I never ordered anyone to clean around here?”

“No, sir.” Isono shook his head “Maybe we should get to it first before we start doing...whatever we came to do.” 

The boy sighed and nodded as he rolled up his sleeves, his bracelet shining brightly to the artificial light, making Isono stare for a moment, but the man quickly turned around to get the cleaning equipment they always kept around.  
Mokuba was soon on his knees, cleaning the floor as Isono worked on the computers and making sure they all turned on again “Sir?” He suddenly wondered out loud “May I ask-”

“I am going to work on it again.” Mokuba answered the question he knew was coming and thought had taken too long to be asked “Maybe it crazy but I…” He stopped to look at the man “I had a dream, okay? And I have to do this, I know I have to do this. I have to try one more time to get him back, Isono. If I don’t...I’ll regret it forever.” Isono nodded, he had always known this day was coming.

“Why not have anyone else help you? Your brother didn’t build this all alone.”

“I know...But I only trust you.” Mokuba answered “I only trust that you will not betray me and that you want him back too. I know my brother made way too many enemies, even in our own corporation, that’s why I don’t want to get many people involved in this.” He said “Not everyone wants him back, you know?”

“Oh, I know sir.” He sighed “But I don’t know how I can help.” He then brought up “I am not as smart as you two are.”

“Maybe.” Mokuba then smirked “But you know something I don’t and that’s how to use a gun, and how to use it well.” Isono couldn’t help but smirk at him before bowing his head.

“I will make sure no one disturbs you.”

\------

“Who was I?” Mokuba asked again and Seth tilted his head a bit as he stared deep into his eyes that will always shine with innocence to him.

“You child...You were my son.”


	3. Theory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look to the past and an apparent solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you will notice, this chapter is heavily based off of the videogame BioShock, by Ken Levine and 2K. Neither Yu Gi Oh! or said game belong to me. 
> 
> Are you guys liking the story?

Priest Seth was walking with his head held high, his eyes as cold as usual and his feet as firm as expected from someone such as him. But this was all a lie, an exterior image he had to keep up for his people and maybe even for himself. His heart was actually bleeding and it had been since the day his beloved parted from this world onto the other side. He wouldn’t be able to hear her laughter, listen to her kind voice or caress those long locks of beautiful hair. 

He had to close his eyes for a moment to keep himself from breaking down in front of everyone else. He took a deep breath and kept on walking. 

He knew where he was going to, and although he wished he didn’t have to do so, he was certain of every step he took. 

But when Seth grew closer to the place and heard a strange sound coming from the exact spot he was walking to, his steps grew uncertain, shaky, and rather confused. But it made him go even faster so he could find the source of the noise.

He narrowed his eyes, ready to scold whoever was making such a noise. But as he got closer he could hear crying.

A baby. 

He blinked as he walked up to it. The infant’s body was only covered with a plain white cloth, it seemed too skinny for a baby and had deep black hair. 

The priest looked around, almost expecting a mother to come out of somewhere and claim the child as hers, but when that didn’t happen and the infant kept on crying, Seth looked back down and knelt down. He tilted his head, not really knowing what to do. 

But the baby was still sobbing loudly and it was starting to annoy him far too much to just leave it like that. He tried to remember the way all the mothers he saw at the village would hold their babies and tried to imitate them the best he could. He slowly grabbed the baby and pressed it against his chest, letting it breath of course and looked around again. He gulped and then looked down at the infant, he hadn’t noticed when it stopped crying. 

It was looking up at him and Seth blinked, looking back at it. 

The baby had the roundest and most amazing purple eyes he had ever seen. The priest couldn’t help but focus on them for a while.

“What’s your name, huh?” Seth then asked in such a calm and soft voice that it even surprised himself. Of course he knew the baby couldn’t answer. He took a deep breath and looked around one last time before quickly making his way back to the pharaoh, not wanting to be seen but anyone.

\--------

Atem could say many things about his priest just like he could make a long list of all the things he was good at and he knew he succeeded in each and every one of them. He understood all the abilities and the capacity his dear rival had. Even if his egoistic nature sometimes made it seemed like there was nothing good in him. He could be ruthless and merciless at times and the pharaoh himself had to step in. They had that much trust in each other for that. 

“A baby?” Atem asked quietly when Seth showed him what he had found “And he was just left on the ground? Alone?” He frowned a bit and walked closer to the taller man, wanting to take a closer look at the infant “He doesn’t seem healthy. We need to have him be looked at.”

Seth nodded “Lead the way.” He said as he held the baby closer to his body, apparently not willing to give him up. Atem arched an eyebrow but he still walked with Seth to see a healer. 

\-------

Mokuba was staring at the computer screens in front of him with big bags under his eyes, his eyes kept on scanning the codes in front of him. He was wearing a lab coat with the sleeves rolled up as his hands quickly typed on the big board in front of him. He didn’t even have to look down, his fingers moved smoothly and knowingly over the keys. 

When the screens suddenly came up with an error message Mokuba couldn’t help but punch the keys and curse. He rubbed his face and shook his head before starting all over again

It had been around a month and Isono could only watch as the boy lost his health with each day and spent more and more time at the station. 

“You should take a break, Mokuba-sama.” The man said quietly as he left some food on a small table. 

The boy shook his head “I’m close to making it, I know it.” He said as he stopped typing to grab a big blue book and starting reading fast “There’s just something missing and I won’t stop until I know what is it.”

Isono sighed “Then please come in now.” He suddenly said and Mokuba’s head snapped to the man as he watched Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda stepping inside with smiles on their faces. 

“What are they doing here? No one was supposed to come or know!” He scolded the man with a frowned as he slowly closed the book. Isono smirked.

“Do you think they would betray you in any way?”

Jounouchi smiled brightly “Hey, I may hate Kaiba but I like ya, kid!” He then smiled softer “I know how much you need him around, I think we all kinda do...We wanna help in any way we can, even if it is by dragging you to a bed and a warm shower.”

Yugi nodded “Isono-san came to the game shop and told me everything. You have to take breaks now and then, or else you’ll be too tired to be able to think, Mokuba-kun.” He said with some concern in both his eyes and voice. As Yugi talked, Honda looked around and whistled.

“Holy shit this place is like a movie scene.”

Mokuba sighed deeply and rubbed his face a second time before leaving the book on the table as well and going to a locker, he grabbed some lab coats and handed them to the men “Put them on, all of you. If you want to help then you will be my assistants and follow my directions, okay?” He asked with a very small smile. 

The three smiled as well and put the coats on. 

“Then...How is it going?” Honda wondered as they sat down while Mokuba ate and continued reading his book. The boy then lifted it up and showed them the title.

“The Principles of Quantum Mechanics.” Yugi read and Mokuba nodded.

“It’s the book that started it all.” He explained “My brother was reading this right before he decided to create the machine and go back. With this, he understood that there was an experiment he could try and that could work. Magic explained by science if you ask me. But...I can’t deny the truth when I have seen the proof.” Mokuba sighed “Basically, there is much more than what we see. Other...realities that are just as real as the one we are at right now.”

Jounouchi tilted his head in confusion.

“You could call them dimensions.” Mokuba continued slowly “This moment, us now, has already happened in one of those dimensions, and will happen in others. Just like it never happens in some else. It’s a matter of perspective.”

“Wait, I…” Jounouchi grabbed his head. Mokuba sighed.

“We live in Domino.” He started and both Honda and Jounouchi nodded “And in this Domino, my brother up and left. Imagine there are many other Dominos, happening at the very same time that this one is. And those are different ways life is happening, in some he never left, in some I never find him again, and in some I find him. But...There are some constants and variables.” He said softly “Some things that always remain the same, and things that change. Coffee instead of tea, blue curtains instead of red…”

Yugi’s eyes widened “So...Your brother was able to break this dimensions to go back?”  
Mokuba nodded “He did travel in time...But it wasn’t just that. He travelled back to one of those dimensions. Time...Ends up not being much more than semantics, if you think about it. Everything is happening all at once.”

“Kaiba-kun managed to create a machine that allowed him to do this…” Yugi said softly “But he wasn’t able to make an opening to come back.”

Mokuba sighed “That’s why I don’t need just a machine that takes me...I need some sort of portal to be able to travel back and forth, but one I can open and close as I please.” He said “Or else I will do like him and only open a portal that I won’t be able to create again.”

“Okay so we gotta make a thingy that opens those things whenever we want?” Honda tried and Mokuba nodded, Jounouchi smirked.

“Then we will do our best to help ya. Just tell us what to do and we’ll try our best. I may not understand all this jibblish but I know we can do it together.”

Yugi smiled “Kaiba-kun belongs here.”

“Exactly.” Mokuba agreed “It’s not safe for him to be there.” 

\-------

Minkabh squealed happily as he ran around the pharaoh’s throne. Atem smiled at the child even if the other people present didn’t seem to like the show. 

The door opened and Seth walked inside, his eyes grew softer as he watched the boy who quickly ran up to him when he saw who it was.

“Daddy!” He laughed happily and went to hug the priest’s legs, Seth looked down.

“What have I told you about behaving like that when the pharaoh is around?” The child tilted his head.

“Uh...Not to!” He smiled at the correct answer and Seth ruffled his hair. 

“Go apologize then, Minkabh.”

Atem smiled as the boy went up to him, got on his knees to apologize and then went to hide behind the priest. Seth sighed and looked at the shorter man.

“You know I don’t mind.” Atem said and Seth shook his head.

“He has to learn manners now that he is a child, or else he will be spoiled for ever.”

“I have a feeling he will be spoiled either way. Everyone around here loves him.”  


“He is very...likeable.”

“Unlike you.”

“Don’t push it.” Seth arched an eyebrow and the child giggled behind him, making him turn “Aren’t you hungry, Minkabh?” The boy nodded and the priest grabbed his hand “Then let us go eat something now.” He bowed to the pharaoh and then left. 

\------

“Pass me those samples.” Mokuba told Yugi as he went over some notes. The older male did so and stayed right beside the boy. He blinked, still not understanding all that much what he was seeing.

“Mokuba-kun...Can I ask you a question?” The black haired boy grunted as a reply, not taking his eyes off of what he was analyzing “If all this is real then...Does that mean my grandpa is alive somewhere?” He then wondered quietly, not wanting his other two friends to listen. 

When it happened, he had tried to appear strong in front of everyone, he thought it may be silly to cry over someone who it was known would be gone soon. His grandfather was old and lately he had fallen ill more than once. It was a matter of time before the inevitable happened. And although he had allowed himself to cry, he didn’t allow himself to mourn, he had to be independant and be able to pull through, he had the game shop to look after and his own projects to work on. 

But at night, in the loneliness it brought, Yugi couldn’t help but think of the man that had dedicated the last part of his life to raising him with all the wisdom and love he could offer. 

He had known no greater man than his grandpa. 

Mokuba kept quiet for a moment before pulling away from his samples and computer and looking at his friend “He is.” He answered slowly, as if he were testing the other “But Yugi...You know you can’t do anything, right?”

Yugi looked away.

“I don’t know what consequences there are with travelling like this. But I’m sure there are some.” He tried to explain “After all, just like my brother doesn’t belong where he is, you don’t belong where your grandpa is alive. And I don’t think the universe like things mixed up.” He said “Or else we would all be able to travel back and forth as we pleased, there are rules somewhere.” He finished and Yugi looked at him with a bit of a smile.

“You really grew up to a very smart young man, Mokuba-kun.”

The boy blushed some and grinned “Hey, you’re not that much older!”

\-------

Minkabh tilted his head as he watched his father knelt down in front of him. The boy was sitting on his bed and he had been woken up from his nap. Seth smiled softly at the child and he pulled out a small golden box.

“What’s that, daddy?” He asked as he kicked his legs expectantly. 

“This, little one, is a gift for you. Today, seven years ago, you became my child.” He spoke quietly “I don’t think I ever told you the story.”

“Yeah, you did! You said I was a gift from the Gods!”

“You were.” Seth said “You are. But the place where I found you is a bit special.” He added and the boy tilted his head “You see...The day I found you, I was walking to go pay my respects to a very special person to me that had parted from this world not too long before.”

“Who?”

“Her name was Kisara.” Seth said “And I loved her very much.”

Minkabh pouted at that “More than me?” Seth chuckled quietly.

“No, that’s not possible.” He then flickered the boy’s nose, making him laugh. Seth then opened the box and inside there was a beautiful golden bracelet with a blue gem on top, sitting on a velvet interior “I want to give you this, little one.” He then said “As a way of celebrating your life and a way for us both to always be together, no matter what happens. It’s a symbol of our bond.”

The child looked at it and then up at his father “Can I really have it?” Seth nodded and he grabbed the bracelet before gently putting it around the boy’s wrist. It looked even better in contrast with the tan skin “It’s so pretty!” 

“I’m glad you like it.” He then set the box on a table “It’s yours.” Minkabh then stood up and went to hug the priest, who instead lifted him in his arms and held him tightly for a bit before setting him down again “Come on now, I have to go see the pharaoh.”

\-------

Seto sat right outside the village, on a rather big rock. He had one leg crossed over the other as he watched the sun set. He heard footsteps coming from behind him but he didn’t turn around. He already knew who it was.

“I told you I’d be back later.” The blue eyed man grunted and Atem stood next to him.

“I was just worried for you. You do remember what this place is, right?” He asked and Seto sighed but didn’t turn his head.

“The spot where I first found Mokuba.”

“Minkabh.” Seto rolled his eyes.

“That name sounds stupid, Mokuba is better.”

Atem smirked “It’s the name you gave him.”

“And Mokuba is the name I gave him.” 

Atem blinked in confusion “How come?”

Seto frowned a bit, as if talking about it only brought pain and bitterness to his heart, which in reality did “My parents asked me for baby names back when my mother was pregnant. I thought of it because of an old tale I read once and they liked it. That’s it.”

“But you named him…” Atem smiled a tiny bit “You were always meant to be his father, no matter the circumstances.”

Seto then abruptly stood up “I did not come here to talk about this.” Atem arched an eyebrow.

“Then what did you come to do here?” He asked. 

“Think. Alone.”

“Then I shall leave you be.” Atem said “But I have to admit you chose a good spot to think at. I come here too to think.”

Seto smirked “About Yugi?” And it only grew as he watched Atem’s cheeks turned a bit darker “In love with your own future self?” This time he arched an eyebrow “And then people call me narcissist.”

“I never said I was in love.” 

“You don’t need to.”

Atem sighed deeply and looked down “Love or not...it doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be where he is and he shouldn’t be here. Our destiny is to be apart.”

Seto snorted “Your destiny is whatever you want it to be. You should take it into your own hands and control it, mold it to make it be what you want.”

“Just like you did by coming here? Breaking all existing laws even knowing the risks?”

Seto looked at Atem “I chose to come here...The pain of the consequences are mine to bare.” He said before turning around and walking away. But at some point he stopped and looked back at the other “Look at me...Do I still look like a father to you?” He sighed deeply and shook his head, answering himself and leaving.

Atem just stared at Seto’s back “Of course you do, Kaiba. It’s the role you were always meant to play.”

\------

No one has ever saw the priest like they do now. No one has ever witnessed him act in such a desperate matter, no one has ever saw his eyes filled with concern like they did now. Maybe back when Kisara had left, but even then the man had managed to somehow keep his cool, at least compared to the way he was acting at that moment. 

“Seth, calm down.” Atem’s voice was grave, it was filled with anger and his mind was racing.

“Calm down? Calm down?!” He almost yelled “Tell me to calm down when it’s your son who is missing!” He exclaimed and then gritted his teeth “Where are your minions now, huh pharaoh?! They should be looking for Minkabh!”

“They are.” Atem replied calmly “Everyone is, even those who aren’t my minions. Everyone is worried.”

“Then they have to look faster!” He roared and Atem stood up from his throne.

“Calm down, priest.” He said “We will find him. I swear on it. And you know I never lie.”

Seth gulped at that before quickly turning around and leaving to go search himself. 

Marik watched from behind one of the big pillars. He smirked as his eyes were glowing with an evilness only known to himself and Bakura. He folded his arms across his chest and chuckled lowly in amusement.

“Who could have known our favorite priest could be capable of such emotions?” 

“Well, we do now.” King Bakura said as he walked up to Marik. The man turned to look at him.

“Where’s the brat now?”

“Away. I hid him somewhere they won’t find him.”

“You need to ask for the ransom.” Marik said and Bakura smirked.

“I’m surprised you won’t stop me.”

“Why would I?” Marik looked back at Atem who sat back down and was lost in thought with narrowed eyes “This doesn’t concern me. I never really liked the kid in the first place, but I’m certainly enjoying the show and commotion. As long as I’m entertained I won’t say anything.”

“Even if I want to enjoy the boy’s body before I move on with my plan?” Bakura arched an eyebrow and Marik smiled, looking almost like a demon.

“That will make this much more interesting, especially if our lovely priest finds out. Make sure I’m there to see his face.”

“Deal.” Bakura said before leaving in the shadows.

\-------

“I think I got it!” Mokuba suddenly exclaimed with the biggest smile he could do as he stared at a small device in the form of a ring. His friends and Isono looked at it too. Jounouchi blinked.

“Why a ring, though?”

“To make it invisible to the normal eye.” Mokuba said “No one would suspect of it.”Once I wear it, it will be connected to my brain and it will take me wherever I wanna by reading it.” He explained “Now all that is left is to test it, and if it works then I’m going right now.”

“Right now?!” Yugi exclaimed and then quickly shook his head “I think you should first test it a lot of times before trying to leave just like that. I know you’re confident, but you should really think this through, Mokuba-kun. What will we do if you don’t come back? I’m going with you.”

Mokuba shook his head “If something fails then it’s better to have one loss than two or three or four. You guys are staying.”

Honda put his hands in his pockets “Jounouchi and I are staying, Yugi and you will go.”

Yugi turned to look at his friend “Honda-kun?”

“Hey, maybe it will take two of you to beat Kaiba up, besides, this may be your last chance ever to see the pharaoh, right?”

Yugi blushed and looked away. Mokuba sighed deeply.

“First comes the tests, then we will plan everything out. I want to write some documents too and leave them in case I don’t come back.”

\------

Seto walked through the village, his head under some sort hood to hide his face from everyone, as he thought of his little brother. It was something natural for him, something that was part of himself. Being concerned about Mokuba made him consider the possibility of him actually being a father to the boy. This time or the past, it didn’t matter much to him, he only cared about the facts, and those were that he had failed the boy one more time, that could very well be the last.

“I’m sorry, Mokuba...It seems like I’m always saying these words.” He thought as he kept on walking “And you always forgive me, sometimes you feel like there’s nothing to forgive. But what will happen now, kiddo? If there really are any Gods out there...Could I be granted another chance?” 

He then snorted and shook his head.

“Stupid…” He muttered to himself.


	4. Not Right

Mokuba took a deep breath as he stared at the ring he was now wearing in his index finger. Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda watched him expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move that could either end it all or start a new, more dangerous, adventure. They were kinda used to it by now, but for some reason, this felt even more real that any of the things they had lived before. 

“Mokuba-kun…” Yugi walked up to him and put a gentle hand on the boy’s making him look at him “Are you sure about this?”

“What other chance do I have?” He asked, almost teasingly “It’s the only way to get his ass back here, Yugi. I won’t...He won’t make me live another year without him.” Mokuba said sternly before looking back at the ring. He took another breath, this time calmly before urging Yugi to move away from him and when he did Mokuba put his hand forward and he slowly started moving it to the side, as he did some lighting, as if it were electricity, shot from his ring to the air, he moved his hand further away and some sort of big circle started opening up, showing the station, but it was a bit different than what it was, it was dirty and some parts were destroyed. 

Yugi gulped and he quickly grabbed on Mokuba’s arm “Close it, Mokuba-kun! It’s not right!”

“I’m trying!” Mokuba exclaimed with widened eyes.

“Try harder!” Jounouchi added.

The portal grew even more and the boy bit his bottom lip, to the point of making it bleed, as he fought to try and keep his hand steady, but the force of the ring was becoming too much for him. Honda grabbed Mokuba’s arm as well and helped the boy guide his hand to close it. 

The portal did close but not after making the lights flicker many times and the bulbs explode. Jounouchi quickly protected both Yugi and Mokuba as the crystals fell down onto them. 

When everything seemed to calm down, the younger Kaiba fell down to his knees, panting. 

“Mokuba!” Honda fell to the ground with him and wrapped his arms around him, helping him move over to a chair. The teenager closed his eyes and he dried some sweat that was falling off of his brow.

“Shit...That’s not right...That wasn’t Egypt…”

Yugi shook his head “It wasn’t...But it was something…”

Isono was quick to turn on the emergency light “Is everyone okay?” He wondered as he looked around desperately trying to find out of anyone needed medical attention. He sighed in relief when he didn’t see any blood or bruises.

They nodded.

“That was here, it didn’t do anything. Just made the damn lights go crazy.” Jounouchi added and Yugi shook his head before pointing at the spot where the portal had appeared.

“That place looked dirty...and destroyed…”

Jounouchi blinked “It’s...clean…”

“It was a different station, but the same.” Mokuba said once he had been able to catch his breath “But it wasn’t what I wanted...I don’t get it...I was only thinking of Seto and…” He facepalmed “Of course...I need to be direct with it. I was thinking of Seto, not where he is.”

“That thing is way too powerful.” Jounouchi commented “That’s...not safe…”

“It’s a wish maker.” Honda thought out loud and Mokuba shook his head.

“If you go wrong with what you want it may take you to where you don’t want to go.” He muttered before standing up, his legs were trembling and Yugi made him sit back down.

“That’s enough for today, Mokuba-kun.” He said and the boy’s eyes widened making Yugi frown “No, Mokuba-kun, you are already exhausted and you only tried once.”

“I have to get to Seto!”

“He wouldn’t like it if you drained yourself like that, just like I know he would just kill us if he knew we let you get in danger. This is already stepping over the line, you know?” Jounouchi said. Mokuba rolled his eyes at that.

“He’s not here, you remember? And he’s not here because he didn’t want to be, so I don’t care about what you say.” He stood back up and Honda pushed him to the chair and shook his head. 

“No, Mokuba. We already lost a Kaiba, we don’t wanna lose another one.”

Jounouchi made a face at that “Well...Losing the older one wasn’t that bad…” Honda slapped the back of his head making the blond yelp.

Mokuba looked away and let his body rest against the chair “I’ll take a small break and then try again. This time I know better.”

Yugi frowned and then sighed before sitting down as well “I know you’ll find him, Mokuba-kun. The bond you both have-”

“Meant nothing to him…” Mokuba answered “Nothing at all…”

Yugi shook his head “That’s not true and you know it…”

“Then why did he leave, huh?” Mokuba looked at Yugi, his eyes shining with unshed tears “Everyone kept on saying how I would hide in his shadow and go run up to him whenever I was in trouble. But what about all those times I had to be there for him? All those times I had to save his ass because he made stupid mistakes or was too weak to withstand some stuff? When he was in that coma? When he was tricked by the BIg Five and had his soul taken to a virtual world? And now? Really?” He huffed “When he fucks up he does it good, Yugi...This is just a proof of it.” He rubbed his eyes.

“Then why want him back?” Honda suddenly asked, his eyes completely serious and clouded over with deep thoughts “Huh?”

Mokuba looked back at him and he gritted his teeth. He stood back up from the chair and, this time, no one dared stop him. Not when his eyes were shinning the same way Seto Kaiba’s used to.

\---------

It was a morning like any other and Seto woke up from a long yet restless night. He wasn’t used to being able to go to bed at whatever time he wanted to or to get too many hours of sleep, well at least, that was before he came to this place. Being the CEO of Kaiba Corporation turned sleep into a rarity, something special and almost unknown. So being able to rest as much as he wanted was something he was still not used to, no matter how long it has been. 

But this morning he felt even more tired than usual, and his first instinct was to blame the bed, the situation he was at and even the pharaoh himself, but of course none of it made much sense. 

He huffed and sat up on the bed but when he tried to get up from it, his eyes widened and he felt burning pain in his lower stomach. He slapped a hand over it and without realizing how, he ended up falling onto the ground with a loud thud. He shut his eyes tightly and he gasped in pain, he tried to take some deep breaths to see if that would help but he was barely capable of even breathing and it left him feeling like suddenly there was no more air in the room. He had to stay in that same position for what seemed like hours, when it only was a minute or two.

Seto slowly opened his eyes and looked around the best he could. There was only one window and one door and he couldn’t risk going out without his usual attire on or else he would be mistaken by the priest and it would only cause a commotion. He didn’t want to act like a damn damsel in distress and call for the pharaoh either but he was the only person he was able to talk to there. 

So when the pain seemed to have lessen, at least enough, he slowly stood up with the help of the wall right next to him. He straightened his back and groaned some. His vision got blurry and he had to keep still for a moment to be able to fight off the dizzy spell that suddenly washed over him like a tidal wave.   
Once he was a bit better, he grabbed his clothes and got dressed as fast as he could, which was rather slow, before leaving the room with shaky steps. 

“This is worthless!” Seth told the pharaoh as he stood in front of his throne. King Bakura rolled his eyes from where he was hiding. 

“Priest, this the way to go about it.” Atem tried to explain. It was hard enough to have to deal with Seto Kaiba himself and it was harder to do so with his past reincarnation. Both at the same time felt sometimes like a nightmare. 

“They way to go about it? Don’t make me laugh.” The priest rolled his eyes and Atem arched an eyebrow and some around them gasped at Seth’s action. 

They didn’t understand their relationship, Atem didn’t mind these type of things coming from his cousin.

Suddenly, Isis turned around and stared at the big doors behind them, the priest looked at her and narrowed his eyes. 

A few seconds later, the doors opened and a tall, fair skinned man stumbled inside. Quickly, the meli at the door grabbed him each by an arm, lifting him up and making him groan. 

Atem stood up from his throned and walked over to them “Release him! Now!” He ordered and his guards looked at each other for a moment before doing so, letting the man fall onto the ground. Isis walked behind her pharaoh who knelt down in front of him “Kaiba…” He whispered quietly, and harshly.

“I-I…” Seto tried to speak up but he couldn’t “F-Fuck…”

Atem’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Isis who knelt down as well and nodded her head towards a back door. The pharaoh nodded too and then urged the guards to take Seto there, Isis guided them. 

“And that is the way to go with a stranger who could very well be wanting to attack?” Seth walked over to Atem with folded arms and the pharaoh threw him a rather evil glare.

“Dismissed.” He only said before walking fast behind his meli. 

Seth frowned deeply.

When they got to the medical room, Atem dismissed the meli and then turned to look at the woman “Isis…” His breath caught in his throat when he saw her uncovering Seto’s face. The young man was rather pale and he was sweating “Isis…” He repeated.

“Did you really expect nothing bad to come out of it?” She spoke in a rather scolding tone as she looked at her pharaoh “Nothing at all?”  
Atem gulped “What’s wrong with him? How do you know?”

“I noticed ever since he came here.” She said “He doesn’t belong here, pharaoh. I was hoping you’d realize.”

“I realized...What I don’t understand is how you realized of this. We kept quiet, we came up with different cover ups.” He spoke as the woman placed her hands around her collar forming some sort of circle “How do you even know who he is?” Atem asked as he watched her hands glowing before she placed them on Seto’s stomach. 

“You have underestimated me, pharaoh.” She simply said as she continued moving her hands on top of the young man’s pale skin “He spent far too much time here. Even coming had it’s consequences.” She added “Exposure…” Isis then muttered to herself and Atem could only watch.

“We have to help him...Please…” Atem was basically begging there and the woman had to stop for a moment to look at him as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She sighed and went back to Seto.

“You have to pray, pharaoh. Pray that he doesn’t pay for this adventure with his life.”

\--------

Priest Seth was not willing to lose anyone else in his life. He had already lost Kisara and he didn’t want to have to let Minkabh go. It wouldn’t be fair to the child considering he was only ten years old and little boys and girls didn’t deserve to go through such situations as a kidnapping. 

But he couldn’t deny the fact that he somehow saw this coming, he was one of the pharaoh’s high priests, after all, he knew he had more enemies than friends and he knew that greatness and power came with a price, which was sometimes too hard to pay for. But a part of him had hoped whoever was behind this would try to attack him directly instead of hiding behind his boy. 

He should have been more prepared instead of letting himself go soft. 

“We’ll find him.” Atem promised for the hundredth time that day and Seth had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at his foolish ways. But he honestly was tired and even empty words felt like the world to him at that moment. 

What did he have without his son?

“When?” He asked quietly, far too weak for his own taste.

Atem closed his mouth and his lips formed a thin line. He didn’t like to lie, he never really did unless it was absolutely necessary and even then he didn’t believe in it. He wondered if it would be necessary this time, if it would help settle his cousin’s heart. But he knew better than to be dishonest with Seth. He was a smart man and Atem has always been proud of it, even if he never dared say anything like that outloud. 

They were supposed to be rivals, after all.

“Whenever we have to…” He said softly before walking up to his priest and putting a hand on his shoulder, Seth looked at the hand but he then decided to turn his head to avoid staring into the other’s eyes “I have everyone looking for him.” He added “I’m doing everything I can.”

“You clearly aren’t. If you were then I would already have him back. How can you call yourself the pharaoh if you can’t even keep one single child safe?” Seth’s words were hard and cold and even though some part of him was nagging at him, telling him that getting mad at Atem wasn’t really useful, he had way too much pent up anger.

“I’m doing the best I can.” He reassured the other “I understand you’re angry but it will take you nowhere. Minkabh needs you to be strong, he doesn’t need the shell of his father.”

Seth sighed and then looked at Atem “You’re sending out brute force.” He tried to reason “But maybe we can’t fight this with that kind of strategy. Maybe he was taken by someone smart, too smart. Someone who could be two steps ahead of us.”

“What do you propose then?”

“Doubt.” Seth said quietly as he looked around “Doubt of everyone we know.”

Atem’s mouth opened and then closed again “I don’t...My people didn’t…”

“It had to be someone who knew him well, and who knew me well enough to know when to attack.”

“Why, in the first place?”

“How can I know? I have enemies all over Egypt.” Seth rolled his eyes at his own words “Could be anyone, Pharaoh.”

Atem then looked at his rod and back at Seth’s eyes, the priest followed his cousin’s gaze and frowned deeply.

Both of their eyes widened as realization washed over them. 

“That filthy bastard!” Seth spat out with pure venom in his voice as he turned around and gripped his rod tighter in his hand “I will kill him, I swear on my son I will kill him and eat his corpse!”

Atem followed the man and grabbed his hand “We don’t know for sure.” He said “We may be making a mistake.”

“What mistake?! He is after this!”

The pharaoh rubbed his face “I will contact the other priests. Can you wait until I have discussed this with them?”

Seth leaned down and looked deep into Atem’s eyes, his breath mixing up with the other’s considering just how close they were to each other. The pharaoh stood his ground but he won’t ever admit the fear that overcame him at that moment of his life. 

It was the moment he learned not to ever mess with his cousin, at least when it came to Minkabh.

“Would you be able to wait if it was your child?” Seth asked and the other kept quiet for a moment before sighing deeply and looking away.

“Just...try not to kill anyone until we are certain.”

The priest pulled away “I will not promise anything.”

\---------

“Project number 1-9-1-2, try number two.” Mokuba spoke to a small device that was attached to his lab coat before looking at his friends “Are you guys ready?” He then asked “I don’t know what can happen this time or if I’ll even be able to close the portal in case I make a mistake. You three should just leave and let me do this alone how I intended in the first place.”

Jounouchi rolled his eyes “Not this again, Mokuba. We are not leaving you.”

Yugi smiled “We are ready whenever you are.”

Mokuba sighed and he took a deep breath before looking at the ring, he closed his eyes and then stretched his arm, blue thin electricity lines started surrounding the ring. As he moved his hand, a portal started opening and he squinted his eyes to try and take a better look at whatever was happening on the other side of it and make sure he wasn’t making any mistakes. 

But again, and as someone could expect, something went wrong and the portal showed the corner of a room. The boy cursed as his eyes widened. Jounouchi and Honda were quickly at his side, trying to help him close the portal. 

This time, that didn’t work, the portal opened up bigger and engulfed the three of them. Yugi quickly rushed over to it to try and get them back, but it closed behind them.

“No...No...Mokuba-kun! Jounouchi-kun! Honda-kun!” He yelled at nothing in particular since they weren’t there anymore. Isono was quickly at his side, he rubbed his head and closed his eyes.

“We can only wait now.” The man said and Yugi looked at him.

“Wait? But we don’t know where they are!”

“He took the ring with him.” The man tried to reassure the other “They can come back.”

At least he certainly hoped so.

\--------

Mokuba groaned as he slowly came back to his senses, he felt a pair of arms holding him tightly and voiced coming from the distance.

“...ke up! Wake up!” Honda’s voice whispered harshly into his ear making the boy blinked and then quickly sit up, the older man let him go.

“Where are we? Where did I bring us?” He looked around desperately and noticed they were at what seemed to be a back yard. 

“A house.” Jounouchi said “But there’s no one inside, I already checked. Though you may wanna take a look at this.” He walked over to them and both Mokuba and Honda stood up. Jounouchi handed him a portrait. 

The boy had to make sure to hold it tightly to keep himself from accidentally dropping it.

It was a picture of himself, back when he was eleven years old but with short hair and wearing a button shirt with a vest on. On his side was Seto when he was sixteen, but instead of his gravity defying trench coat, he was wearing a button shirt and some dress pants. He was smiling softly at the camera. 

“It’s...That’s...nii-sama…” He couldn’t help but whisper, a bit logingly as he stared at the photograph “I haven’t seen him smile like this since we were kids…”

“Yeah, you.” Honda said as he took a look “But this you...He does…”

“It’s packed inside.” Jounouchi added “There are pictures of you two everywhere, along with a woman and a man. Your parents, maybe.”

Mokuba bit his bottom lip and handed the portrait back to the blond “Put it where you found it. We can’t stay here, this is not where we belong. I...There’s already a me in this dimension, and there’s already a you of each of you. I’ll try to get as back to analyze what went wrong.”

Jounouchi hummed and looked at the picture again “Aren’t you curious, though?” He wondered “About how your life is?”

Mokuba took a better look at the house and his eyes grew sad when he noticed which one it was.

“It’s not my life. It’s his.” He pointed at the smiling Mokuba in the picture “In his reality things went different. I’m assuming my parents never died here.” He said “We gotta go before anyone comes back. Go leave that picture where you found it.” He repeated and Jounouchi sighed before quickly opening up a window and sneaking inside.

Honda looked at the younger boy “I don’t think I know how that happened…”

Mokuba looked up at him “How what happened?”

“Your parents.”

“Mom when she gave birth to me and dad in an accident.” He sighed “He was drunk and didn’t see a trunk coming his way. Mom...She was sick but she chose to let me live instead of herself. Let’s go now.” Mokuba then said when Jounouchi was back. 

He opened up another portal, this time it was a bit harder than before but not as much as the first time, and they went right through it. 

But this time, it was in a rather big house. The garden seemed very well trimmed and it was right next to a big church. The three of them looked around and Mokuba had to take some breaths to steady himself. 

“Where are we now?”

“This is not right…” Mokuba said softly “Still not right…Damn it…” He kicked a tree and Honda frowned when he noticed something. 

“Isn’t that you? Well...you but….yeah…” He whispered making the other two males turned around. 

There was Mokuba walking down the street as he watched something on his phone. He was dressed in elegant clothes and walking behind a man and a woman.

“Your parents?” Jounouchi asked and the boy shook his head.

“No, they aren’t. I don’t know who they are.”

“Faster boy. And give me that!” The man grabbed Mokuba’s phone and then quickly put it in his pocket. The boy’s eyes widened but he could only bite his bottom lip and look away. 

“Chin up, we will give it back after the ceremony. I don’t want you to have that long face while in church.”

The teenager huffed and kept on walking. His head was low and he played with the hem of his blazer. 

Honda quickly grabbed Mokuba by the arm and hid him behind a bench when the three of them walked right past them. Jounouchi blinked.

“Holy shit...Where’s Kaiba?”

“I don’t know…” Mokuba said softly “I don’t think I want to find out. We have to leave.” Honda shook his head.

“You’re too tired.” Mokuba frowned at that.

“What do you propose we do then? We can’t be seen!”

“We don’t have to, but we can hide and sneak around until you have regained your strength. I can get ya some food and something to drink to help.” Jounouchi smiled and Mokuba sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.

“This is a mess.”


	5. Cry Of The Lonely Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unpextected comes true.

Even though he knew he had to be there for his people, always available and never hiding in the shadows, Atem hadn’t been able to help lock himself up in the medical room where Isis was trying to make Seto better. She had always been rather special, and the pharaoh had always known of it, he always understood she knew and could do much more than what she let on, but he never questioned her. Why would he? She always remained loyal to her convictions, to her people and to him. As long as she continued this way, there was nothing to say or complain about. 

But now he had to know.

“How can you tell he became sterile?” He asked her once she had finally given him her verdict of the situation “How can you be certain?”

“The Gods have granted me special powers, Pharaoh.” She replied calmly “Special abilities that help me take care of the ill and possess wisdom.” She tried to explain humbly, she never really bragged about anything in particular and always kept to herself. Atem frowned a bit, not in anger but rather deep in thought “There are doors I can see. Those open up for me to look into.” She explained “I’ve had this ability ever since I was a child and it is what has helped being able to understand things that could be blind to the normal eye. Like for example, things like the future, other possibilities.” Isis continued as her eyes travelled back to Seto. He was now sleeping peacefully and didn’t seem to be in any type of pain. She had done something to her that the pharaoh didn’t quite understand but he guessed it was alright as long as his dear friend was okay “I have seen the door from where he comes from. There’s someone mourning him.” She then said making Atem snap out of his thoughts “Or at least as far as I could see. I can’t open those doors myself but I see them. All of them and what’s behind.”

“So you knew from the start?”

“I had to make sure. This was the proof of it. I see the doors, but I have never travelled through them I can now see and fully understand the consequences of doing so.” She said “He is sterile. His body suddenly collapsed. But he will be okay with my prayers and the treatment. He has to rest and be informed of this.”

Atem folded gripped his tunic hard as he looked down at the young man’s sleeping face “Is this a punishment of the Gods then?” He asked and Isis sighed.

“Who knows? Maybe.” She replied “I did not make the rules, I am only informing you, Pharaoh. I hope the information can settle your heart.”

“I hope it won’t bring him anguish.” Atem said right before a long sigh “He has to go back, huh?”

She nodded “He needs to go back. As soon as possible. I sure would like to be able to simply open a door and let him go.”

“Me too.”

\-----------

“You have to confess yourself now, boy.” The woman told the other version of Mokuba as she stared down at him with hard unforgiving eyes “There is no other way our Lord will forget about what you have done.”

The boy gulped and looked at the man who wasn’t paying attention to him. He then looked back at her “Do I really have to?” He asked in a small voice, not wanting all the other people that were stepping out of the church to hear them “It was just a kiss…”

“To a boy!” She suddenly exclaimed making some people turn around, even Honda who was spying on them from a close seat “You have disrespect this family...No...You have disrespect our Saviour! How could you do that? Are you not ashamed or such a filthy act?”

Honda frowned and he quickly looked back ahead, faking to be praying.

“I already said I was sorry!” Mokuba whimpered trying to get her to calm down and stop speaking so loudly “I’m sorry, mother! I didn’t mean to kiss him!”

“If you really didn’t, then go confess to the Father and ask our Lord’s forgiveness.” She muttered before turning her back on him and grabbing her husband’s arm “We will see you in the house.” She then said before the both of let them left. 

Mokuba sniffled and he looked up at the statue of Jesus Christ hanging from the cross. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and then turned his head where he knew the father was waiting. 

It was where the other Mokuba was hiding. 

He gulped when he noticed from the confessionary how his other self was walking towards him. He took some deep breaths and decided to keep quiet even when the other boy sat down. 

“Father?” He asked quietly and Mokuba bit his bottom lip “I can see your shadow, Father.” The other said softly before sniffling again “Father...Forgive me for I have sinned…”

Mokuba gulped and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to remember all the movies he had watched up to that day to find one that could give him the answer of how he should act at that moment if he didn’t want to draw any attention. 

“Yes, my son?” He tried to imitate a grave voice “What have you done?”

“I...I have sinned with another boy.” He spoke weakly “I-It wasn’t my intention...I just...I have been...having these feelings and I just couldn’t help it...I didn’t mean to make our Lord mad at me…”

Mokuba’s eyes widened and he tried to compose himself “I see...Why do you think he is mad?”

The other blinked “Why? Well...Because I have feelings for someone of my same gender...And the Bible says it clearly in Leviticus 18:22 you shall not lie with a man as a woman that is an abomination.” He repeated perfectly before rubbing his running nose “At least that’s what dad said.”

Mokuba clicked his tongue “And have you lied with him, son?”

“I...Uh...No, no I haven’t, Father. I just kissed his cheek.” 

Mokuba felt like slapping himself “Then you have not committed an abomination.” He tried to reassure himself, trying not to go crazy by the situation while he was at it.

“But, Father...I have romantic feelings for another boy! And I have kissed him! Isn’t that the same?”

“Not exactly.” He replied quickly “There are some differences. But if that’s what you need then I shall accept your apology and give you God’s forgiveness.”

He clearly heard as the other gave out a long sigh of relief that he had been holding.

“Thank you, Father.” He said as a goodbye as he stood up.

“Wait a moment, son. What is that boy’s name? It is so I can pray for his soul as well and he can get God’s forgiveness too.”

His other self smiled brightly though he couldn’t see it clearly “His name is Jounouchi!” He said before leaving to go back home. 

Mokuba simply stayed sitting there. His eyes widened in both shock and confusion. 

“Mokuba?” Honda whispered from the other side “He’s gone. You can come out. We need to go get Jounouchi.” He continued speaking as he looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to him. Mokuba stepped out after some seconds and Honda blinked as he stared at his face “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The younger gulped and looked up at him.

“I wish it was just a ghost…”

Honda tilted his head in confusion but didn’t as further as they left the church and went to the blond. Mokuba avoided looking at him but his friends didn’t notice. 

He was so grateful they weren’t as perceptive as Yugi.

“So...Do you know who were those people?” Jounouchi asked when they finally were able to sit down in an alley that was pretty hidden from the people passing by in the streets and the cars racing by them. Mokuba nodded and he held his legs against his chest.

“I do. I heard myself call them mother and father.” He most definitely would keep quiet about the fact that, somehow, the other Mokuba was in love with Jounouchi “But they aren’t my real parents, Seto showed me some pictures before. I can only assume I was adopted.”

“Only you?” Honda asked.

“It seems like it. But I really don’t want to know where Seto is. I want to go back. Or go to where he is. But…” He lifted his hand that was wearing the ring and his fingers were shaking “It’s taking a toll on me.” He said in a sigh before lowering his arm to his side. 

Jounouchi nodded “Don’t worry. We’ll keep an eye while you rest and get you food and water. I’m pretty hungry too.” He chuckled and Honda slapped the back of his head “Why again?!”

“Felt like it.”

“Honda!”

Mokuba couldn’t help but smile as he watched them act like they always did no matter the circumstances they were at. He was glad that, no matter who they were in other realities, he was able to meet them in this one. Even if it always seemed to him that the fact of their age difference made them keep their distance from him.

Maybe it was because he was older now, but for the first time he really could feel they were his friends and that they didn’t just hang out around him because he was Seto’s brother. 

He had always admired them even if he never said so out loud, he guessed it was because no matter how different they may seem to be, he was still his brother’s blood. He still held many similarities with him. And one of those was how difficult it could sometimes be for Mokuba to open up about his feelings. 

When he was younger it was easier, a lot easier. And with the years and the grief he had learned to always keep a straight head, to think logically and forget about emotions. If he hadn’t learned to do so then he knew he would have been long gone by now. It had kept him alive, but emotions had brought him where he was right now and he wondered if he had done the right thing or if he was just bowing his head at his brother once again. Following after him only to hide under his tale like he always did.   
He wondered how Yugi was doing.

\----------

“I will feast upon his flesh and make a new set of jewelry out of his bones!” Seth’s voice roared in anger mixed with desperation. He wondered which emotion was stronger “I will then feed his eyes to the wild animals and hang his penis from the highest pyramid so it can burn and rot!”

Both Atem and Isis watched him in silence. They weren’t exactly enjoying the words that came out of the priest’s mouth, but they had to admit, at least to themselves, that they agreed with each and every one of them. 

Little Minkabh had been found out of the village, lying on a pool of blood, his own, and completely naked. His body had burned some due to the sun shining on him but that was the least of their problems. 

A villager had ended up finding the boy and bringing the body to Isis, who had happened to be healing some people that had fallen ill. 

It had been quite the disgusting surprise to find out that the child had been abused in more ways than one. 

Seth fury had only kept quiet when he was in his child’s room, now all bandaged up and sleeping in his own. The man had caressed the boy’s face and kissed his forehead. He remained at his side the whole night in silence, making sure to guard his son even in his sleep. But when morning had come and he was away from Minkabh, his hatred didn’t wait to step out. 

Atem listened carefully, he had sent many guards to hunt Bakura down and so far they didn’t have any news. But he did have many questions that he knew better than to speak out loud in front of his raging cousin. 

“Are you done, Priest?” Isis then asked when the other was left breathing raggedly, his chest moving rapidly with his anger and his eyes bloodshot. He looked at her “Your son will need you to keep a level head after what has been done to him.” She spat out “I understand your anger but it will take you nowhere. We must now think of the reasoning behind this attack.”

“The reasoning?” Seth muttered, now feeling like the energy had been taken out right from his body “What reasoning? He’s a bastard...A disgusting piece of-”

“Of course, but that will take us nowhere.” She added and Atem could only admire her for going against him even when he was in such a delicate state. He knew his cousin wasn’t exactly a bad man. But he knew how deep his anger ran, specially when it came to Minkabh.

He felt the same way.  
“I thought for sure he had done it to get the millenium rod.” Atem told her quietly, as if not wanting to disturb Seth any further now that he seemed to have been tamed “I assumed he only wanted to steal not this…I never took him for anything other than a thief.”

“I believe none of us did.” Isis agreed with a short nod. Seth looked down “It is why we have to analyze the situation.”

“And find him as soon as we can.” Atem said.

“I will go join the search team.” Seth suddenly spoke as he looked back at them “Pharaoh-”

“No.” Atem said sternly “Minkabh needs his father, he doesn’t need you away. He will wake at any time and you need to be there for him. I will join the search team and I will bring Bakura to you. That is a promise I make to you for the Gods.”

Seth’s mouth closed, pressing his lips in a thin line. He could see the sincerity and the rage burning in his cousin’s eyes. He knew quite well that Atem would keep his promise and not let him down.

He wasn’t the pharaoh for nothing. And even if he hated admitting it, he knew Atem was perfect for the position. 

“Very well.” Seth said quietly “Then I shall go back to him. And I will wait for any news from you...Bring him alive to me and I will do the rest.” He muttered only to Atem’s ears before turning around and leaving the room. 

Isis looked back at Atem “I shall go back to the village now.”

“If you see anything-”

“I will let you know, my Pharaoh.” She bowed to him before going as well, leaving Atem to his thoughts and feelings. 

\----------

Seto groaned as his eyes opened slowly. Luckily for him, it was nighttime so his room was only lit by the moonlight that came through his window and a single candle burning softly placed at a table next to the door. He lifted a hand to touch his head to try and get rid of the aching he felt and the other went instinctively to his stomach. 

It was hurting no longer and that made him blink and slowly sit up on the bed. He took a deep breath and continued touching his abdomen as if waiting for the nerve wracking pain to come back and when it didn’t he let himself take a sigh of relief and lie back down. 

The beds around there were too uncomfortable and no matter how much time he spent in that world, he will always find them horrible compared to the softly and velvet like ones back at the mansion.

He opened his eyes and stared at the moon shining brightly. It was full and even that was something he never really cared about, where he was, staring at the stars and the moon had become a night routine for him before bed or for when the memories and longing became unbearable and he couldn’t sleep. 

So far it seemed like it would be one of those nights but he didn’t feel like getting up from where he was. He felt his body tired but his mind was restless.

Thoughts of his life, his actual life in the future filled his mind and left him feeling nauseous. He could not stop thinking about Mokuba and how mad the boy must be feeling at him. He hadn’t meant to leave like this for so long, he hadn’t meant to never come back even if he knew the risks. He had been blinded by his pride and his need to defeat his rival that he hadn’t taken into consideration the thing that mattered the most in his life. The only one that really meant something to him. 

His shaking hands quickly went to grab at the locket under his robes and he was glad to find it there. He hadn’t opened it in a long while, fearing that the very sight of his brother would end up driving him crazy. But he felt like he couldn't’ take it anymore so he pressed the small button on the side and it opened, revealing the image of his little brother looking at the old camera that had taking the picture as he held a chess piece in his hand. He was smiling as his big purple eyes were glazed over with innocence and happiness. 

Seto always thought that the orphanage had been a very bad time for them both, of course the one spent with Gozaburo always won over, but now he could see that his happier memories were of that place they had been left at after their family had stole their inheritance. They had been together, at least, and they spent their days playing chess and the nights laying together in the same bed. 

He wished he could back there, he wished he could have just watched Gozaburo walk by and ignore him. He wished there had been another family to have adopted them.

How did everything lead to this moment? What had he done so wrong to have made so many stupid mistakes in his life? Why did he keep hurting his brother over and over?

He closed the locket and pressed it tightly against his chest. He couldn’t bare to look at the smiling face again. He couldn’t bear to see the hope and devotion in his brother’s eyes and know he had failed him once more. 

This one for good. Because even if he could come back to where he belonged he wasn’t ignorant as to believe that everything would just go back to normal and Mokuba would be the same he’s always been. He knew he would be hated, he knew he wouldn’t be welcomed with open arms. He knew that dog Jounouchi would most probably beat him up for up and leaving just like that. 

And he knew he deserved it all. Maybe letting himself be punched by Jounouchi would erase some of the regret and some of the guilt that had been pooling in his stomach ever since he realized he couldn’t go back to Mokuba. 

His eyes stung and his heart started beating fast against his chest. He felt his mouth dry and he wondered how long it had been since he had last shed a tear. 

He remembered sobbing the first night Gozaburo had raped him. He could still remember the pain, the big hands and the disgusting voice against his ear. He remembered the sounds that would come out of his mouth and the bed’s headboard hitting the wall. He remember hoping his little brother wouldn’t wake up to listen to such a thing and be able to keep his innocence forever. 

He still has some scars from his time with Gozaburo, but even to this day he wore them with pride, knowing that everything that had happened he had done for Mokuba. And he would go through it all again if it meant giving his brother a decent life. 

Seto sniffled and he felt his eyes growing damp with unshed tears. He went to lay on his side and opened the locket again. 

He choked down a sob and he pressed his forehead against the picture of his little brother. 

“I’m sorry...I-I’m so sorry…” He whispered to it, hoping his words would somehow be able to reach Mokuba. 

He knew it was useless. 

\---------

Atem was walking by hoping to go to Seto’s room and find the man in there. He wanted to know how the other was feeling and if he still was in any pain. Isis had assured him that he would be okay and that he wouldn’t suffer anymore. What was done couldn’t be fixed but he at least wouldn’t feel anything from it. 

The pharaoh wondered if being sterile was something that would really affect Kaiba. Although he knew better and understood that his friend was more Mokuba’s father than brother, he couldn’t help but think if he wanted any other child. 

Both his train of thoughts and feet suddenly stopped when he was at the man’s door, his hand on the handle and his eyes widened. 

There was sobbing coming out of the room and he wondered if he should enter. Maybe his friend was in pain and in need of help.   
And he wasn’t wrong, but the pain he felt was not something that could be fixed, not by him and not by Isis. 

“M-Mokuba…”

It was a lament, a cry full of longing and regret and Atem had to take a deep breath. He rested his forehead against the door and he listened to Seto’s sobbing up until it stopped. He knew it wouldn’t do the other any good to cry over anyone else’s shoulders. But he wanted to be with him even if he couldn’t be seen. 

He slowly removed his hand from the handle and closed his eyes in prayer as Seto slept quietly inside.


End file.
